57 pages • 1 hour read
Summer Island: A Novel
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Essay Topics
Does the novel imply that family secrets should be revealed, regardless of how painful they are? Consider the secrets Nora reveals throughout the novel. Choose one and explore whether or not the novel suggests that it should have been kept a secret. Support your response with textual evidence.
Is there an antagonist in the novel? If so, who is it and why?
How does including excerpts from Ruby’s article impact the novel? What would be left out if the reader didn’t get to read her article as she was writing it? What if they were only privy to her article after it was complete?
How does the beach setting affect the plot? Choose a specific scene in which the beach setting is important and support your response with textual evidence.
Is Nora a hypocrite? Are her critics correct in chastising her? Why or why not?
Does the novel imply that famous people should expect a level of privacy when they are in the public eye? Why or why not? Use Nora’s experience to support your claim.
Research the literary concept of the marriage plot. In what ways does Summer Island employ the marriage plot? How is it different than other novels that use the marriage plot? Choose another novel and compare and contrast how each work uses the device.
Does the novel portray Nora’s and Caroline’s obsession with their physical appearance as anti-feminist? Why or why not?
Through which characters does the novel explore The Healing Power of Forgiveness and Releasing the Past? Does the novel imply that there are any instances that may not be amenable to healing or reconciliation?
Summer Island was originally published in 2001 before the concept of revenge porn was widespread and mainstream. Consider how Kristin Hannah writes about the media’s portrayal of Nora’s private, nude photos being published without her consent. How may the media write about a celebrity experiencing a similar scandal today? In what ways may it be similar or different?
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By Kristin Hannah
